HANGING with HOOCH Kelly HOOCH Hunt
W
ell here we are again another few months and Mike Stevens has asked if I have a story for his magazine. While I didn’t have anything in mind I said a quick fire “Hell Yeah” and would come up with an idea later. Mike is energetic and very pro active. I saw him at the Outdoor Lifestyle Expo in January. He was onsite as a patron checking out what is happening both in his field of fishing and also like minded activity. This is typical of Mike and making sure he is across anything in the state in regard to fishing and the outdoors. He has really invigorated the retail space in fly fishing in Launceston, with his ideas and creativity. So if you are in Launceston make sure without question, you drop into Essential Flyfisher at 105 York St and make sure next year you check out the Outdoor Lifestyle Expo at the Inveresk Rail Yards.
Where’s the action? Makos The fishing offshore at the moment is great. All around the state if you have a nice weather report and are organised, you will find fish. Mako sharks are off all coasts at present and many people are taking the opportunity to put some in the freezer. If you are a first time mako hunter you will need a few tips to help in getting one in your trail. So let’s go through a few here. Fishing News - Page 16
Brook and the crew with Brook’s first broadbill.
Burley There are heaps of opinions on what makes the best burley, but it’s not rocket surgery and we can work through it. Quite simply you need fish flesh and the best of all time id striped tuna. If you have the chance to get some on board while out fishing then do so. Just leave them whole untouched and when you get home , freeze them. Once you have enough to fill the about 6 of the Square \10 litre ice cream containers from any ice cream shop, that you politely asked for, you have enough for one mako session. Set a day aside one weekend, put on some old clothes and ring some mates to come round. Remove the tuna from your freezers and lay out on a tarp in your yard. While they are defrosting set up your mincer. Now
some people find that the small garden mulchers do a great job, and they do, but you can also make your own machine. Mates Duncan Lowry and Clinton Howe made one 25 years ago and it is a beauty. Cut your stripe tuna into manageable pieces and feed into your mincer of choice. Get it as fine as you can. Put it through the machine twice if you have to. You want a heap of fine fishy particles to sink and spread in the water. Too chunky and the bigger pieces will just sink quickly down and not get the spread you are after. YES.. we will need some bits going deep but you do that with the chunks you cut up at the back of the boat. We will go into that later.
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